A night of memories
by Blackcat8539
Summary: It was all a new experience for me, the hair, the fancy dress, I had really been looking forward to finally feeling like a girl. Of course, Ronald had to go an completely ruin it! Victor of course, was nothing but pleasant the entire time. The Yule Ball from Hermione's point of view.


Harry potter and the goblet of fire

A/N The Yule Ball was an awesome event no one could deny that, but I think it would have been better from Hermione's point of view because she was the main spectacle in the book.

Disclaimer: I own nothing.

Please R&amp;R

I was reading "Hogwarts; a history" in the library. It was horrible outside, where's inside it was nice and warm. I closed my book, with my finger marking my spot and was about to relax against the chair to start thinking over my homework when a shadow fell over me even in the dim light. I looked up and startled I started to stand when his voice interrupted, "Here let me help you," and offered a hand. It was an odd offer, considering I had never spoken to the man before but I took him up on it never the less, considering one hand was already full.

"Thank you, what is it that you wanted?" I asked, assuming that he did want something why else would he be talking to a bookworm like me? In fact why was he in the library at all?

"Vell, I vas just taking a vanderfal walk around the amazing school Ven I saw Zhe most beautiful creature sitting here in the library and I had to ask her if she vould go to the Yule ball vith me?" he almost seemed shy, asking me that, but I doubted that could be so after all this was Victor Krum!

I nearly laughed at him at first the initial shock fading, before I saw he was serious! I opened my mouth to reply but words failed me twice before I could stutter out anything, "y-y-yes I would love to go to the ball with you."

He smiled and lifted my hand to his lips never breaking eye contact. No guy had ever done that before and I felt an odd fluttering in my stomach as he pulled away not wanting him to go.

"I vill see you there then." He said and left, with a very jealous entourage of girls following him, several sending me glares.

I nearly fell back wards into the chair; Victor Krum had just asked me to the ball! I was going with Victor Krum! I smiled; I was going with Victor Krum! Very pleased with myself I got up and went to the Owlery, heading to send a letter to my parents asking them to send my good dress.

**The night of the ball**

I was looking myself in the mirror and feeling very proud. Ginny had helped me with my hair and my shoes, and over the last week she had been teaching me to walk and dance in high heels. She smiled at me through the mirror and I turned to thank her, because of her I managed to look just the way I wanted. She looked really good too, and I was happy to have another sensible girl there with me. I smiled at her and asked "so are we going to do this or what?"

"Let's go" she said and we left our bedroom going down the stairs, slightly late, but Ginny had agreed to stay and help me, I was supposed to be there slightly early because I as going with a champion which meant that I got to have the first dance! But which also meant I was doubly late.

When we reached the common room the people who weren't going stared outright at us, I felt very self-conscious, and was about to turn around when Ginny gripped my arm and lead me through the we were safely out of the common room I let out the breath I had been holding and gave a shaky laugh, If I got that reaction from Victor I would be happy. Ginny gave me a reassuring smile, "he'll love it," she said seemingly able to read my mind.

When we arrived at the entrance to the great hall Victor was waiting for me. Ginny had gone ahead to make sure the boys weren't there to ruin the moment when he saw me. I took a deep breath and then turned the corner to go down the stairs. Victor was facing away from me but the gasps of some of the girls around him, he was alerted him to my presence. When he saw me he smiled; he didn't do that very often. I slowly and carefully made my way down the stairs (it was difficult to do in heels) and when I reached the bottom Victor was waiting with his am out stretched. That fluttery feeling came back and with girlish glee I took his arm. Walking towards the entrance I caught Ron and Harry's looks as they saw me and gave a small wave, before entering the hall. Inside the Great Hall had changed dramatically. Everything was coated in a layer of ice, and it looked amazing! I was stunned for a moment before Victor placed my hand on his shoulder and took my other in his hand; luckily I snapped out of my daze just in time to start dancing. Victor knew all the steps though so we had no trouble, although unfortunately Harry didn't seem to have as much luck. Out of the corner of my eye I saw him stumble slightly before getting the hang of it. In time with the music Victor lifted me up and spun me around. It was exhilarating having someone lift me up in front of all these people. It made me feel like a girl and a woman all at once. Before long other people were dancing: Neville and Ginny, Hagrid and Madame Maxime (Hagrid after taking over from Dumbledore of course) and even Mad-eye Moody joined in. I had never felt such wonder.

Victor smiled at me, "do you enjoy danzing her-my-one?" he asked, unable to get the hang of my name.

"I didn't used to, but this is wonderful," I told him, giving him a bold smile.

He grinned and twirled me one more time before the music ended, and Dumbledore started to make his speech. At every occasion he would make one and every time they are amusing at the very least, this speech was no exception. It was about the cup of course, and the night and his well wishes to all the competitors before letting the feast begin. We could have whatever we wanted; you told the plate what you wanted to eat and it appeared! i was intregued by the magic and made a mental note to ask McGonagall about it later.

After a couple of songs, people started to finish their meals and headed off to dance to both slow and fast songs. Victor was half way through describing his home school when my favorite song came on. Victor must of seen my reaction because he cut off his sentence and asked me, "vould you like to dance?" holding out his hand. I smiled at him and took it, getting up and following him to the dance floor. It was a fast song and we danced in time to the beat. Sometimes just moving around and other times he would twirl me or lift me up. It was amazing. After a couple of songs though I told Victor I needed a drink, so we left the floor. On our way to the drinks table we passed Ron and Harry, I motioned for Victor to go on while I went talk with them. After all they were my best friends.

As I sat down, Harry greeted me but Ron said nothing.  
"Hot isn't it? I asked. Dancing sure made you hot, and I started fanning myself with my hand.

"Victor has just gone to get drinks. Would you like to join us?" I offered when no answer was attempted by the others.

"Victor?" Ron said giving me a scalding look by which I was shocked, "Hasn't he asked you to call him Vicky yet?" he asked with hints of venom in his voice.

Surprised and hurt I asked Ron, "What's wrong with you?"

"If you don't know, I'm not going to tell you!" he practically spat.

I just stared at him. Why was he doing this? Was he deliberately trying to hurt my feelings? Why? Why would someone do that?

Harry started to ask Ron what was wrong but Ron cut him off "He's from Durmstrang! He's competing against Harry! Against Hogwarts! You- your" Ron was obviously casting around for words strong enough for what he was feeling, "fraternizing with the enemy," he spat in my face 'that's what you're doing!"

My mouth fell open. What the hell was his problem? Just because I was having a good time, and he wasn't! Luckily, my shock and anger were strong enough to hide most of my hurt because otherwise I might have broken down in tears. "Don't be so stupid!" I said, "Honestly! Who was the one who was all excited when they saw him arrive? Who was the one who wanted his autograph? Who's got a model of him up in their dormitory?" I asked him outraged.

He chose to ignore all that though, "I suppose he asked you to go with him while you were both in the library?"

"Yes, he did!" I said indignantly, why was he being such a git about this? Honestly where else would we have met? I couldn't see where he was going with this, what was his point?

"So what?" I asked him. I could feel my cheeks turning pink, what was his problem?

"What happened? Tried to get him to join SPEW did you?"

"No! And if you must know, he had been coming every day just to talk to me, just to pluck the courage! He told me so himself one day when we were studying in the library!" I blushed. Why did he need to know? I just wanted to get out of here. He was ruining my whole night!

"Yeah well that's his story," Ron said nastily.

"What's that supposed to mean?" I asked him. What was he accusing Victor of?

"Obvious isn't it? He's Karkaroff's student isn't he? He knows who you hang around with; he's just trying to get closer to Harry- get inside information on him-or get near enough to jinx him…"

I nearly went into tears, and when I next spoke my voice wavered. "For your information he hasn't asked me _one single thing_ about Harry, not one!"

Ron quickly changed tactics then and said "Then he's hoping you'll help him figure out the egg! I suppose you've been putting your heads together during your cosy library sessions!"

"I'd never help him work out that egg!" I said. What did he take me for - a traitor? I was beyond anything but anger now. He was ruining everything!

"Never. How could you say something like that! I want Harry to win the tournament. Harry knows that, don't you Harry?" I turned to him pleading for his help here but he looked to scared to intervene not that Ron really gave him a chance.

"You've got a funny way of showing it, don't you?" said Ron.

"This whole tournament's supposed to be about getting to know foreign wizards and making friends!" I told him, nearly hissing at him in distaste.

"No it isn't!" he shouted. "It's about winning!"

People were starting to stare at that point, and I felt extremely embarrassed, hurt and angry! How could he! I turned around to leave when he said, "Why don't you go find Vicky? He's probably wondering where you are."

I turned around anger probably written all over my face, "Don't call him Vicky!" I shouted before I took off, not wanting him to see the tears that were streaming down my face. I hurriedly exited the hall, not wanting everyone to see me cry. It was a little while before Krum found me collapsed on the stairs. I had stopped crying by then and just had a bit of a runny nose.

"Vhat is vong Hermione?" he asked concerned, "I vent back to vhere you vent to talk to your friends vut you had left."

"I'm okay" I said, wiping my nose with the tissue I had been using, "I was talking to find my friends when they started being so mean and oh, it doesn't matter. Want to go and have another dance?" I asked him in return. I had been sulking for long enough - it was time to start enjoying myself again and just avoid Ronald. If he was determined to have a bad time that wasn't a reason to ruin mine!

The rest of the night was simply wonderful, Krum introduced me to a couple of his friends and they were great. They were all such gentlemen, we all ended dancing with each other. Krum did try to dance with me the most though. It made me feel special, something that didn't happen often with Ron and Harry, they treated me properly, like a lady and it was wonderful.

At one stage during the night I had a lovely conversation with professor Flitwick about the charms used to transform the hall, it was fascinating though admittedly I was still curious about the charms on the plates.

As the ball started to wind down Victor and I had one last slow dance, I was sitting down about to pass out from exhaustion when he offered his hand and said "von last dance, Her-mi-on-y?" and how could I say no? I smiled and found it in myself to get up and leaning into Victor we danced. Our bodies moving together with the rhythm a twirl here, a step there and a twirl every now and then. It was a mixture of the best feelings of my life. Many had already left the hall so it wasn't quiet as loud. I felt weariness creep into me and I knew that after this I would want to go.

He kindly walked me back to the portrait, I thought the night was going to be perfect until I ran into Ron again in the common room.

He was slouched in one of the chairs near the fire looking completely miserable until he saw my smile as I walked through the portrait. Then I saw several emotions cross his face, hurt embarrassment and then finally anger.

"And where the bloody hell have you been?" he shouted at me as he stood up.

"Out snogging Vicky have you?" his face contorting into a sneer.

My anger replacing my complete state of bliss I replied in a raised voice "no! We were dancing! That's what you do at a ball Ron, dance!" I ended up shouting the last part.

"Yeah right dancing nice and close I expect!"

"Well, if you don't like It, you know what the solution is, don't you?" I yelled my hair already starting to fall out earlier now coming down around my face. it had only really just hit me then, why he was doing all of this and I knew that like most times I was right.

"Oh yeah?" yelled Ron "what's that?"

"Next time there's a ball, ask me before someone else does, and not as a last resort!" I turned to the stairs going to the girl's dormitory and stormed up them, what a complete idiot! The second wave of tears for the night came rushing down my face as I slammed the door closed behind me. He had no idea, and honestly if he had just plucked up the courage! But then I am talking about Ron. I through off my dress and pulled on my Pajamas's, I closed my curtains and tried to stifle my sobs against my pillows. As the cold crept in I slid under the covers of my bed futilely whipping away some tears. I hugged my pillow to my chest as I rested against the backboard. I stayed like that for a while before whipping away the last of the tears and focusing on the great time that I had managed to have with Victor. I would just put Ronald completely out of my mind. It wasn't as hard as I thought it would be. He was just that much of a git.

A/N

I have gone over this a couple of times and I apologise, despite being uploaded after I begun my first story this was in fact the first piece of fanfiction writing I did.


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